How He Spent That One Rainy Afternoon
by 10051
Summary: '...He really was terrible at this 'free time' thing. Maybe he was just too used to Oz keeping them both entertained. Or maybe he just enjoyed Oz's company' Pre-Abyss, mild Ozbert.


Hello there~

I just felt like writing some aimless fluff (if you can even call it that) about Oz and Gil, and the weather happened to be good yesterday (yes, the weather can inspire me lol). Thus, this absolutely random fic was born!

There's not much else to say, so I shall say no more :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pandora Hearts. It belongs to Jun Mochizuki.

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Hot.

It was so _hot_.

The month of June was very hot this year, and it made Gilbert sweat so much that he could feel it beading up at his hairline and slide down the smooth skin of his body. It was also the heat's fault that Gilbert looked something akin to a train wreck nowadays. The heat woke him up far too early in the morning and let him sleep far too late at night. But his complaints never made it past his subconscious mind because for all he knew, he was a servant and servants didn't complain.

Thirteen year old Gilbert currently had some free time on his hands since his morning duties were over. Oz was currently with Ada, helping her with her studies. Gilbert offered to help but Oz had graciously allowed him to take some time off and do whatever he pleased instead. Now, the problem was that Gilbert wasn't used to being on his own. He wasn't sure what to do with his free time which was why so far he had done nothing but wander around aimlessly.

Finally, Gilbert decided that he might as well take another shower, so that he could appear and feel fresh when Oz needed him.

...He really was terrible at this 'free time' thing. Maybe he was just too used to Oz keeping them both entertained. Or maybe he just enjoyed Oz's company?

While in the shower, Gilbert pondered on the various ways a servant such as himself could pass the time while their Master was busy. Nothing came to mind for a long time, but then suddenly he recalled a fond memory of he and Oz sitting cosily by the fireplace in the living room one winter night while reading novels, and Gilbert decided that reading was the answer.

While getting dressed, Gilbert glanced up towards the fogged windows and now that his mind wasn't preoccupied, he noticed that the sky seemed darker than usual.

_"It could be rain... Now that I think about it, it's been a while since it has rained. I hope it does."_

After getting dressed, Gilbert made a beeline for the library. However, he had barely sat down with a book when he heard the suspicious, faint pitter patter of rain. Gilbert got up, headed towards the nearest window and looked out to find that it had indeed started raining. Book forgotten, Gilbert immediately headed for the garden. He could already smell the tell-tale unique scent of rain and feel the humidity seep into the gloomy hallways, and these made him speed up his pace. Gilbert literally burst through the front door and came to an abrupt halt, because any further and he'd be out in the rain.

As the door behind him swung close, he simply stood there and enjoyed the wonderful cool breeze that felt as though it were coming from all directions. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, filling his lungs with the first bits of purified oxygen. When his eyes opened again, they immediately trailed upwards, where the sky above him was slate grey with hints of faded blue here and there, and the strong, consistent breeze made the clouds move noticeably faster as though someone had fast-forwarded time. The gentle rustling of the leaves and the silent whistling of the wind lulled his awareness while the branches of the trees were flailing wildly due to the breeze, and the grass seemed almost alive as every single strand danced with the wind.

The rain was getting stronger now. It had been a light drizzle a few minutes ago but before he knew it, it was coming down harder and faster. The soil was starting to get runny and little pools of water were forming where there were depressions in the ground. The scent of rain was much stronger now, too. Gilbert could feel his shirt getting a little damp and his bangs had started sticking to the sides of his face and cheeks.

But despite the whirlwind of activity all around him, Gilbert felt absolutely calm. There was something about this weather that was just so... _soothing_. Everything became dull, which most people probably disliked but Gilbert was the opposite. The sunlight had been very strong lately, so Gilbert thought of it as a nice change to actually be able to open his eyes and see the world around him without having to squint. Naturally the constant cool breeze was very refreshing as well. Nowadays even the breezes, which were the only source of relief in summer, were nothing more than hot air.

And then there was the raindrops themselves. Millions of tiny raindrops fell from the sky, and the ones that were thrown off course by the wind sprayed onto his clothes and exposed skin. It felt as though the water was gently caressing his skin, making his eyelids feel heavy and combined with the soft sound of these millions of cascading raindrops hitting the earth, he just felt compelled to close them for a while.

When Gilbert opened his eyes again a few minutes later, he received a start at the sight before him. It was now raining like there was no tomorrow. The garden and potted plants were all flooded and Gilbert was sure that the soil was probably waterlogged by now. There was water pouring off all three sides of the ledge above him in steady streams, and though he was standing well away from the edge, his shirt had become quite wet to the point that it was starting to cling to his skin a bit. He could feel tiny water droplets clotting together on his face, some sliding down when they became too heavy. The wind was much stronger now and every now and then a sudden gust of wind would swat arcs of rain, propelling them forward rather than down which made it appear as though there were distortions in the scenery around him.

Suddenly Gilbert thought he heard a voice, calling him from the distance.

"Gil!"

_"Ah, it sounds like the Young Master's voice,"_ thought Gil a little fondly, as he closed his eyes once more. _"It would've been nice if he were here, experiencing this refreshing weather as well."_

"Gil~!"

_"And that sounds like Ada's voice. Ada might not like this weather because her cats would hate it..."_

Gilbert shuddered.

"Giiiiiiil~!"

_"Eh? Now I hear them both, and they sound louder. I wonder why I'm hearing their voices now? It almost sounds as if..."_

Gilbert opened his eyes, and nearly fainted due to what he saw.

There, a few feet ahead of him were Oz and Ada standing on the gravel pathway in the rain, waving at him with wild grins on their faces.

"Young Master Oz! Young Mistress Ada! What are you two _doing_?!" wailed Gil, as horrid images of Mrs. Kate butchering him for letting the Vessalius siblings catch colds flooded his mind. How had those two even _gotten_ there without him knowing? Had they exited from a different door than the one Gilbert was at?

"Come and join us, Gil~!" called Oz, apparently without a care in the world as to what Gil just asked him.

"N-no thank you! I'm fine over here," he called back, but his voice faltered several times during his sentence until it finally quietened altogether. He wasn't used to speaking so loudly, after all.

"But Gil, it's fun!" said Ada, who was probably able to guess what Gil had said, before giggling as her brother jumped into a particularly large puddle, splashing her dress in the process.

"Ada! Be careful!" called Gil, as his body automatically moved forward towards her. As soon as he took two steps though, he wanted to slap himself. Now he was drenched, too!

"Yay! Look nii-chan, Gil's come to join us~"

"What, really?" Oz's grin seemed to have gotten brighter at that remark, which only made Gil hesitant to speak his next words. Nevertheless, he did anyway.

"Y-Young Master, we must get inside immediately otherwise we'll all catch a cold!" Then, "And Mrs. Kate will _kill me_!"

"Oh c'mon Gil, it's finally rained after so long. Let's just play a little longer~"

"But Master, you-"

Oz and Ada glanced at each other. Oz had a certain devious gleam in his eye that Gil would be able to notice and instantly recognise, had he been paying attention. However, Ada seemed to possess the same talent as Gil since she knew exactly what her brother was thinking as their eyes briefly met.

Like brother, like sister.

Before Gil finished his sentence, both siblings silently moved to stand on either side of Gil before jumping with all their might. The result, of course, was Gil getting heavily splashed from both sides. His clothes were now completely soaked, and they clung to his body like a second skin. Fat droplets of water dripped off from the ends of his hair, most of which was plastered to his head. His expression was blank as though he had no idea what just happened, or rather, he had no idea how to react to what just happened.

All in all, it was a comical sight and both siblings immediately burst into a fit of laughter before they each ran off in the opposite direction, shouting "Ruuuuun for iiiiit!" as they went.

Gilbert could only stand there, soaked to the skin. After a while he sighed deeply, but right afterwards his lips formed a small smile.

...Perhaps it wasn't too bad, playing together like this once and a while with his... friends.

And so, if it was a game his friends wanted, it was a game they were going to get.

The next two hours were spent playing this new game of theirs - tag, with a twist. Instead of touching the target, you were supposed to splash them. This made the game infinitely harder, which was why it dragged on for so long. But it was enjoyable nonetheless, and Oz didn't fail to display his talent for mastering practically anything within the first few tries. He spent the least amount of time being 'it', followed by Ada and lastly, Gil.

The game would probably have gone on longer, had not Mrs. Kate found them at that point. And oh, was she furious! Why wouldn't she be, after finding the young Vessalius heir and his two accomplices exhausted and soaking wet with mud all over their shoes and legs? They were all sent inside immediately – the lecture would come later, when everyone was dry. Mrs. Kate ushered Ada to her room, announcing that she would take care of her while Gilbert was to take care of Master Oz.

"Let's go, Gil! I'll wash your back~" said Oz while pushing his servant towards his room. Gil spluttered in embarrassment and did his best to fight against Oz's strength. "Th-there's no need for that, Master, because it's my job as your servant to wash your back and- and wait, no! I mean there will be _no_ back-washing!" cried Gil, as he felt his face heat up. "We can't possibly b-b-bathe together!"

And then, Gil's body chose that exact moment to suddenly become aware of Oz's chest pressing against Gil's back as Oz did his best to make Gil budge from his spot. Their thin clothes were not making things any more comfortable because they felt almost non-existent in their wet state.

Oh, how Gilbert wished he could just disappear through the floor right about then before he died of embarrassment.

Oz simply smirked at Gil's futile attempt to resist him (in more than one ways, he added in his mind), and said, "Relax, Gil. It'll be fun!" Then, he briefly craned his neck forward to look at Gil, and Gil's soul nearly left him at the downright evil look on Oz's face. "But don't worry, if you still don't think it's a fun idea, I could always get Ada's _cats_ to join us. I'm sure they need a wash too and no one handles them better than I do, remember?"

After that, Gil obediently let himself get dragged to Oz's bathroom without even the slightest of protests.

Gilbert was expecting chaos while in the bath since it was the perfect time and place for Oz to tease the living daylights out of him, but everything went surprisingly smoothly. He suspected that Oz was too tired to play any pranks, and though he was a bit worried that his usually energetic Young Master was so subdued, Gilbert was silently thankful.

After the bath, both boys went straight to dinner. They ate quickly, because Oz reasoned that they could escape to their rooms before Mrs. Kate arrived and luckily for them it all went according to plan. When dinner was over, Gilbert suggested that he should make some tea and Oz agreed, telling him to bring it to his room.

About fifteen minutes after they had parted ways in the hallway, Gilbert arrived at Oz's room. The windows in his room were wide open, allowing a constant stream of cool air to flow in. The rain has mostly stopped, but every now and then it would drizzle a little. Oz was sitting up in bed with his blanket over his legs and a book in hand. Upon seeing Gil, he set the book down on his bedside table, shifted towards the edge of the bed and swung his legs over the side, but he kept the blanket draped over his shoulders like an over-sized cape.

"It a bit chilly in here," explained Oz, "but I don't want to close the windows. The wind still feels nice."

Gilbert passed Oz his cup of tea which he took with a bright smile and said, "Thank you, Gil." Gil bowed slightly, after which he stood there awkwardly for a while. Eventually Oz started laughing softly.

"Oh Gil, sometimes I can't tell if you're just too shy or you forget. Go on, sit down."

"O-okay," mumbled Gil, and tentatively sat down beside Oz.

"Are you cold?" asked Oz, while extending one flap of his 'cape' towards Gil. Gil politely declined with a slight shake of his head and said, "Thank you for asking."

Oz smiled and gave Gil a sideways glance. "So formal as always."

"S-sorry... I think."

The boys sat there for a long time with Oz silently sipping his tea while Gil was lost in random thought, though every now and then he would suddenly become aware of his surroundings and his heart would speed up when he realised how physically close he and Oz were. Their shoulders were touching, he was able to hear Oz's faint sips and he could feel the comfortable warmth being emitted by the blond boy. Then his eyes would land on Oz's calm face.

He noticed how it was a little strange for Oz to be so unusually focused on his tea. Oz never had a problem with eye contact or anything else like that, but now that Gil thought about it, Oz tended to avoid such things when they were this close in proximity...

...Was Oz nervous too? Was it for the same reason as Gil...?

Whatever the reason was, it calmed Gil, for some reason, to see his Master conceal his true feelings with such ease. In a way it gave him courage, and in no time he was lost in thought again.

"Ah, that's right," started Gil all of a sudden. "Mrs. Kate never lectured us. I didn't think we'd be able to escape her."

Oz smiled a bit. "Hmm, no, not really."

"What do you mean, Young Master?"

"Ada came to say goodnight while you were making tea. Apparently she had to hear an earful for all of us throughout her bath. That's why she was late for dinner, too."

Gil paled. Not one, but _three_ times the scolding? "That must've been horrible."

"Oh, don't worry. Ada and I are used to it now. We just hate how she drags it on and on and _on_."

"Oh, I see..."

Oz finished his tea and placed it on the trolley that was stationed beside the bed. Seeing this, Gil made to get up with the intention of taking the trolley away, but froze in his place when he suddenly felt a warm body pressed against his side.

Oz.

It was Oz's body.

Oz had wrapped the blanket around his body like a cocoon, scooted towards Gil a bit and leaned against him, resting his head on the younger boy's shoulder. Gil instantly felt his cheeks warm up when he felt Oz's warm breath on the curve of his neck and he resisted the urge to squirm in embarrassment lest he upset the blond.

Minutes of silence passed and neither boy said anything. Oz seemed content just the way he was, and Gil dared not to ruin this rare moment of closeness.

At last, Oz finally spoke, but his voice came out as a mumble slurred with sleep.

"Today was really fun... Wasn't it, Gil?"

And then drooping eyelids closed over hazy emerald orbs as Oz finally succumbed to exhaustion.

Gil's own eyes were wide open in contrast, but then he blinked, and they softened as he smiled warmly at his Master. He carefully rested his head atop Oz's, closed his eyes and softly whispered his answer.

"Yes, it was... Oz."

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This is the second time I'm writing a fic which has a lot of rain-related description (I love rain!), but unlike last time I tried to make it sound more calming than gloomy. Hope I managed to pull it off, which I probably didn't, but- Aah, I'll let you be the judge of that :)

Reviews are most appreciated :D


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